Enter the Dragon!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Unless you’ve been trapped in jotund troll’s lair for the past few months, you’ve probably noticed that here at Paizo we’ve been exploring a number of Asian themes for the Pathfinder RPG. From the release of the ninja and samurai alternate classes in Ultimate Combat to the Jade Regent Adventure Path, we’ve definitely had the myths and monstrous challenges of the East on our minds.

To kick off our preview of the soon-to-be-released Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 3, we are going to continue on with that theme and unleash one of the great challenges of the Dragon Empires—the forest dragon!
Just one of a suite of new imperial dragons—serpentine agents of ancient lands and cosmic balance—these fickle and malevolent creatures wind their way through the forest mists. And while they are capable of the wingless flight common to dragons of their ilk, they prefer to hunt on the forest floor, waylaying those foolish enough to trespass upon their emerald domain.

Bestiary 3 features adult and ancient versions of this dragon and three versions of the other imperial dragons—sea dragons, sky dragons, sovereign dragons, and underworld dragons—as well as rules for you to make your own imperial dragon menace. This monstrous supplement also features a host of other, similarly themed monsters. From a template for the noble guardian foo creatures, to the treacherous spidery jorogumos, to the ancient and otherworldly kami, and a host of new deadly oni, Bestiary 3 has enough monsters to stock an entire Dragon Empires campaign!

Not planning on adventuring in that part of Golarion for a while? Don’t fret. Next week we will be looking at a host of other monsters in Bestiary 3 that we’re sure can find a place in any one of your upcoming adventures. Until then, beware the twisting trail and cunning tactics of the forest dragon!

Thanks for showing off the new dragons! I'm especially interested in the rules for making your own types of imperial dragons. Would it be farily straightforward to adapt these to create new chromatic or metalic dragons also?

I am curious though about the forest dragon's breath weapon. What exactly is it made of that it does piercing damage? Splinters? Thorns? Something else?

Thanks for showing off the new dragons! I'm especially interested in the rules for making your own types of imperial dragons. Would it be farily straightforward to adapt these to create new chromatic or metalic dragons also?

I am curious though about the forest dragon's breath weapon. What exactly is it made of that it does piercing damage? Splinters? Thorns? Something else?

I'resonably sure that what Stephen means by making your own Imperial Dragons is the rules for building up dragons that aren't on the young/adult/ancient spread, in the same way you can already build Chromatic, Metallic & Primal dragons using the tables on p90-91 (92-93 in Bestiary 2)

Are there going to be good Imperial dragons, I mean they are obviously based on Chinese dragons...

"In contrast to European dragons, which are considered evil, Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, hurricane, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck. With this, the Emperor of China usually uses the dragon as a symbol of his imperial power."

Are there going to be good Imperial dragons, I mean they are obviously based on Chinese dragons...

"In contrast to European dragons, which are considered evil, Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, hurricane, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck. With this, the Emperor of China usually uses the dragon as a symbol of his imperial power."

The imperial dragons have these alignments, ranging from least powerful to most powerful:

Are there going to be good Imperial dragons, I mean they are obviously based on Chinese dragons...

"In contrast to European dragons, which are considered evil, Chinese dragons traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, hurricane, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck. With this, the Emperor of China usually uses the dragon as a symbol of his imperial power."

The imperial dragons have these alignments, ranging from least powerful to most powerful:

The Imperial dragons represent the "five extremes of philosophy," more or less.

Fair enough. If it were me, I'd just have them all True Neutral, you know "forces of nature" and all that. Or at least APPEARING to be alignments to mortals, but really having more a "blue and orange" morality.

Thanks for showing off the new dragons! I'm especially interested in the rules for making your own types of imperial dragons. Would it be farily straightforward to adapt these to create new chromatic or metalic dragons also?

I am curious though about the forest dragon's breath weapon. What exactly is it made of that it does piercing damage? Splinters? Thorns? Something else?

I'resonably sure that what Stephen means by making your own Imperial Dragons is the rules for building up dragons that aren't on the young/adult/ancient spread, in the same way you can already build Chromatic, Metallic & Primal dragons using the tables on p90-91 (92-93 in Bestiary 2)

Now THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! YAY AND GOOD JOB PAIZO FOR PREVIEWING THIS! Question for Mr. Jacobs...will we see a talking three-tailed spirit wolf monster (akin to Moro and her ilk from Princess Mononoke) in this Bestiary or in the Dragon Empires Gazetteer?

I am struggling with Pathfinder after level 8. How is this a challange for level 10 characters? With 22AC and only 129 HP a Paladin could easily solo kill it in two rounds. With the rest of the party around it would be a breeze to do it in one.

Now I realise that you can change the encounter and add more stuff but by the book I thought a CR10 creature was an average challenge for 4 10th level PC's. Heck even a group of 8th or 9th level PC's would be able to kill this beast quite easily.

How exactly does it get both a bite and gore attack. I do not see two heads.

I imagine the same way that someone with a double-headed weapon can attack with both ends. It just hits you with one and if you're still standing, it changes the angle of the weapon (head,) and hits you with the other.

Personally, I'm imagining one tossing somebody into the air with his antlers and catching them in his mouth. Or biting someone on the arm or leg with its teeth and shaking its head to rake or impale them against its horns. Fun times!

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You know, I think it's fairly easy to modify the half-dragon template to whatever non-standard dragon bloodline you see fit. Just change the breath weapon damage type and/or area and resistances to suit, maybe give magical flight if the dragon parent could fly without wings. Rubba dub dub, you're clean and done!

I am struggling with Pathfinder after level 8. How is this a challange for level 10 characters? With 22AC and only 129 HP a Paladin could easily solo kill it in two rounds. With the rest of the party around it would be a breeze to do it in one.

Now I realise that you can change the encounter and add more stuff but by the book I thought a CR10 creature was an average challenge for 4 10th level PC's. Heck even a group of 8th or 9th level PC's would be able to kill this beast quite easily.

Lovely art work though.

That's because a CR 10 monster isn't supposed to be challenging for a level 10 party of four. That's not how the CR system works.

An encounter of CR=APL is a speed bump that will drain some party resources. A CR=APL+1 will drain more resources, CR=APL+2 will be a rough fight with PC deaths possible and CR=APL+3 means the party better be on the ball and have Lady Luck on their side, or it's a TPK.

That's how CR works, and on the record Paizo is remarkably excellent at assigning CR's to monsters in Pathfinder bestiaries. It's a quantum leap compared to 3.5 (yes dragons and Ogre Mage, I am looking at you all).

Your also forggeting that this guy is not a brute but an ambush predator. He would cast shield before combat begins. using sound imitation he could lure people into traps, other creatures, or just terrain more to his liking, he has woodland stride and pass without trace wich means he can move without hinderance in the forest and it would be hard to track him so hit and run tactics would useful as well. casting obscuring mist would not hinder him ether so combine that with shield spell. Also he has +17 stealth for a large creature, he can fly, climb, and burrow as well. So I think if the DM was using him correctly he could be a pain in the butt. There also one more thing to keep in mind he is a dragon with treasure so give him a magic item he could use like bracers of armor, magical ring, amulet of natural armor, etc. fom his treasure hord.

interesting that despite some criticism on asian fluff you go full in and complete what you've started.
I'm happy for every well designed monster I get, I just hope you don't do but one culture every year, like old african myths and classes next year.

I hope the next preview includes descriptions, as they are at least as interesting as the picture.

You guys do relise that this dragon is only age catergory "young" and at the same CR range as a Red Dragon. Wich of course makes me very curious of the power level of these dragons between each of there own kind and that of other true dragons.